If QDMA was not a money making machine, you could simply have antler restrictions and get the same results
I am not talking the company or business QDMA...we are simply talking QDM practices and antler restrictions don't always stress mature deer...as you can have an 8 point 1.5 year old.
Sure no doubt but anything above the antler restriction is the hunters choice, that is a plan that works for average hunters and size snobs
I am personally against point restrictions not because it doesn't protect yearlings but because it steals young or brand new hunters the ability to have successful hunts early and easily, getting a new hunter hooked for life and building our ranks.
So the thought behind gdm is to raise the score of the deer you hunt. So you create a artificially high deer habitat in hopes to attract and help grow antlers. So if say 50% of hunters start doing this, then the average buck will increase. Meaning that your once great buck is now a average buck. Soon we are in the exact same place we are now. If you truly want to help the health of your heard that's one thing. But the age of deer have nothing to do with health. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Wrong...the score a buck in QDM does not matter, it is all about age structure. Again, habitat can be part of what you do to encourage healthier and older deer but it is not an actual necessity to practice QDM.
QDM is about having a balanced herd and good habitat. Yes, having mature bucks will generally increase the average score of the total buck population. But it's not the focus. I'm confused at how the great buck is becoming an average buck? With all things equal, some bucks will be genetically superior when it comes to antler growth. So one buck could start out a spike while another's first set is a basket 6. Leaving both go until the age of 5, there could be 30" seperating the two. This is just an example, but you get my point.
Clearly you don't have an understanding of QDM, if that is what you feel we are talking about here. Large racks are merely a byproduct of QDM. The goal behind practicing QDM is to have a balanced herd. The right number of does, yearling bucks, 1 1 1/2, 2 1/2, 3 1/2, 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 plus bucks. Food plotting and habitat management help in allowing deer to have enough food source to stay health and QDM hunting practices help keep the herd balanced. If you are truly doing QDM, you have to take and maintain an inventory of the deer in your area and know roughly what percentage of each class of deer you have. Once that is known, then you manage the herd. Either you shoot more or less does, depending on the balance. The one constant is that if you shoot a young buck, you can guarantee he will never reach his potential, that negatively impacts the herd structure and skews the balance as years go by. Clearly I understand that not everyone has the land or the cooperation of surrounding hunters to truly practice QDM, but the mentality of "if I don't shoot him, the neighbor will" doesn't really help anyone because the neighbor knows you feel that way, so he will act the same way. Communication with your neighboring hunters might just kickstart them into following along. If not, well you just gotta do what's best for you. Again I'm not criticizing anyone that chooses not to follow QDM, and I'm not going to criticize someone for shooting what makes them happy.
Interesting story about qdma Brian Murphy allegedly killing kittens. - Announcements and News - Deerforums
Oh my word spot on....I know of cases where I know neighboring land owners and they don't realize this....and both say the same thing. More than likely the chances are if you are saying that then so is your neighbor.
Pfftt...I couldn't care less. Feral cats are a serious problem to all kinds of game and the environment. They are a major predator of quail. I've shot more feral cats than I can recall and this from a guy that has kept three feral cats and are good pets but they were the exception and my version of everything in moderation. If a person makes a habit of acquiring kittens for the pure joy of being cruel to them then I'll agree he's mentally deranged, outside of that...this instance, while a bit raw and unconfirmed...I couldn't care less about. From reading a lot of comments about QDM, it's more obvious to me that one of the main problems is people not having even a basic understanding of the actual practice before being critical of it or "QDM snobs". I readily admit I'm a trophy hunter, I love big antlers and mature bucks. At this point in my life, it's the challenge that keeps hunting forefront in my mind. To me, the best way to feed that addiction is using QDM and it's holistic approach that's safe and beneficial all around. To me, it's where trophy management starts. If everyone did it, would it raise the bar on what is and isn't a trophy? Without a doubt, anything that shows results is that way, it's called escalation. For the devout hunter, there's always a new bar that defines the word "trophy" whether it be antler inches, age, body weight, character, etc...
So I understand having a balanced doe to buck ratio, but what is the benefit of age? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sota you are about the most negative guy I know here on the forums...you even bring me down some. Seriously, I don't think anyone could make you happy...which genuinely saddens me. Your backhanded insults need to go.
You can't handle the truth? I have read up on the QDMA and things like herd balance just simply are not possible. Take Minnesota for example a great portion of the state are 1 deer this year. On my land I have a very unbalanced herd, but with the 1 tag law there is nothing I can do to balance the herd, yet the herd is very healthy. My thoughts are simple on small tracts of land it is not possible to manage a herd. The herd do not follow property lines, where if you simply went with antler restrictions that can be enforced no matter property lines and get a desired effect.
So yes, there are some issues with managing wild herds, especially concerning small properties. But you can manage a herd without a fence. That's a proven fact. The rut can be made more intense, and you can pass on young bucks. I can completely understand there being limitations. Or it not being affordable. But yes, you can manage. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I strongly dissagree that people get ditched here on these forums for what they shoot. I see it the other way, people always commend , lend a internet hand shake on here from what I read. TV does portray the image you mention, I agree, but also keep in mind some of the passing younger Deer in favor for a more aged one is a hunters choice. Personally for me its the stage im in of my hunting adventures. I have 35+ years behind the Bow, have been through all the stages of hunting and have been very happy with all game harvested including spikes over the years. Hunting more mature Deer for me is a game changer and challenge. I also took up filming for the challenge of it. Shoot what you want, ill congrat anyone on anything they shoot legally!
How would you accurately detect the measurable outcome ? I am all for habitat management but I think managing the herd on any large scale is difficult if not impossible. Wh has enough land to contain the entire range of a mature buck during the rut?
